The Impact of Acute Brucellosis on Mean Platelet Volume and Red Blood Cell Distribution

BACKGROUND Brucellosis is an inflammatory disease which may infect any organs or systems in the body. Mean Platelet Volume (MPV) is one of the most frequently used surrogate markers of platelet function. It reveals the presence of disease activity in many inflammatory diseases. Red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is a parameter that measures variation in red blood cell size or red blood cell volume. Its predictive value approves inflammatory and infectious diseases. OBJECTIVES The current study aimed to determine the assessment levels of red blood cell distribution in cases with acute brucellosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS The current study investigated whether MPV and RDW played any roles in acute brucellosis diagnosis. The study was conducted from 2008 to 2014 through prospective examination of the inflammatory markers found in adult patients with acute brucellosis. RESULTS The follow-up within the year after treatment was examined. The values of age, gender, leukocyte count, C-reactive protein, RDW and MPV were recorded. The study included 351 subjects, 250 of them in the acute brucellosis group and 101 in the control group. The mean MPV levels were 7.64 ± 1.30 fL, and 7.67 ± 1.29 fL in the acute brucellosis and control groups, respectively (P > 0.05). The mean CRP levels were 32.57 ± 53.20 mg/dL, and 4.81 ± 4.89 mg/dL in the acute brucellosis and control groups, respectively (P < 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding the RDW level and the mean leukocyte count (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS While the CRP value was in patients with acute brucellosis in the current study, the MPV, RDW and leukocyte counts were within the normal range. CRP value remains the most valuable inflammatory marker in cases of acute brucellosis.